Method of producing and a chenille-like textured type yarn, trim, and fabric

ABSTRACT

A method and product for producing a chenille type of yarn, trim, and fabric by sewing, brushing or water treating and drying non selvaged or bound edges of biasing strips to form a fluffed material for decorative use as a fabric edging, weaving material, or yarn to produce patterned material designs when affixed thereto.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of the Provisional Patent Application entitled “METHOD OF PRODUCING A CHENILLE-LIKE TEXTURED TYPE YARN, TRIM, AND FABRIC” filed Mar. 12, 2005, Ser. No. 60/662,259.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field

This invention pertains to fabrics. In particular it pertains to an improved method of producing a chenille-like textured type yarn, trim, and fabric and articles produced there from.

2. State of the Art

Chenille yarn is a specialty yarn typically used in upholstery and decorative fringe applications. A chenille yarn includes a central portion, or core, from which short pile strands protrude. Chenille yarn is typically formed on a yarn manufacturing device that co-twists two or more continuous yarns to form a core. Twisting the core yarns provides strength to the resulting chenille yarn. The pile, which is formed of discontinuous fibers, is gripped between and protrudes transversely from around the core yarns.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,168 (Tung et al.) is exemplary of the typical process for the formation of a high-bulk chenille yarn. A binding thread is formed by air texturing a polyethylene yarn with a binder yarn. A chenille yarn is formed by twisting together a pair of the binding threads so as to engage sheared lengths of pile yarn therebetween. During finishing the polyethylene component of the chenille yarns is melted to bond the pile yarns to the binding threads.

Chenille yarns may also be formed by slitting the fill threads of a woven fabric intermediate the longitudinally extending warp threads of the fabric to form narrow ribbons. Thereafter, two or more of the resulting ribbons are twisted together.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,878 (Kim) discloses a process for making chenille yarn in which longitudinal warp threads are provided both above and below web of fill threads. The warp threads are bonded to the fill threads and slit between the warp threads to form the chenille yarn.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,459 (Mokhtar et al.) discloses a tuft-string structure having pile yarn bundles bonded to a central support strand. The pile yarn bundles extend in only one direction from the central support strand such that, when attached to a backing, a pile surface structure (carpet) is formed.

Japan Published Application 4-352,840 discloses a process for forming a chenille yarn from a knit fabric. A plurality of foundation yarns is formed. Each foundation yarn has a longitudinally extending core thread formed as a chain stitch. Transversely extending filaments link together adjacent foundation yarns. The transversely extending filaments are cut, forming the chenille yarn. The use of a heat-activated binder material is avoided as this is seen to cause the chenille yarn to have a stiff feel. The product relies on the tightness of the chain stitch to prevent pile pull-out and therefore, durability is limited.

The process disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,883 and 3,837,943 (both to Ploch et al.) uses composite binder stitching threads and shrinkable yarns to post-tighten chain stitch loops and form durable velours or stitchbonded fabrics using a backing. The backing is not an adhesive layer that can be used as the binder in a chenille.

In view of the foregoing it is believed advantageous to provide a low cost process for forming chenille yarn that both very durable, and at the same time, soft, flexible and, preferably, stretchable. Multiple color capability, multiple fiber capability in pile and long pile is also believed desirable.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,870 (Zafiroglu) is based on what is essentially a warp-knitting technique in which the chenille effect yarns are anchored by stitches rather than simple twisting. A number of fabric methods of producing chenille yarns and fabric are known. Typically, this envisions a wool, cotton, silk, or rayon yarn with pile protruding all around made by weaving a cloth with warp threads about soft filling threads and cutting it into narrow strips that are used especially for tufting and fringes. A pile-face fabric is made with a filling of this yarn and is commonly used for curtains, bedspreads and rugs. There are a number of imitations of this yarn or fabric.

The invention is directed to a method of producing a chenille yarn by forming a warp knit fabric in which a web of transversely extending under laps connects adjacent overlaps of longitudinally extending stitches. The stitch overlaps are arranged in adjacent longitudinally extending wales. A binder material extends with the overlaps along the wales.

The binder material may be introduced into the knit fabric in a variety of ways. A strand of binder may be laid into the stitches or may be inserted transversely into the stitches. Alternatively, the binder may be provided in sheet form with the stitches penetrating into the sheet. Binder can also be introduced using a composite low melting temperature/high melting temperature thread as the stitching thread.

The transversely extending under laps are slit between adjacent wales thereby to define a plurality of precursor chenille yarns, each precursor chenille yarn including a wale of stitch overlaps and binder surrounded by an array of slit transverse under laps. Either before or after slitting either the knit fabric or the precursor chenille yarns (as the case may be) is (are) heated to activate the binder. The binder material has a tendency to contract under heating into a continuous, longitudinally extending, elongate, irregular-shaped stripe, thus causing the fabric or the precursor chenille yarn to shrink or to contract longitudinally. Accordingly, in accordance with this invention, either during or after heating a tensile force is applied to the fabric or the yarn. The tensile force either prevents the formation of such a continuous stripe of binder chain within the core or breaks the continuity of the stripe of binder into discrete beads of binder material, thereby to form a finished chenille yarn. The core of the finished chenille yarn is defined by the overlaps of the stitches and the pile of the finished chenille yarn is defined by the slit transverse under laps, with the pile of the finished chenille yarn being held to the core by one or more discrete bead(s) of binder.

The method provides a way to make chenille yarn in which the pile yarn is secured to the core by the beads of binder material. The tendency of the binder to form continuous, longitudinally extending, elongate, irregular-shaped stripe is countered by the application of the tensile force either during or after heating, as the case may be.

The present invention avoids complex machinery construction of the above methods and is designed for producing a chenille type of yarn, trim and fabric by sewing, water treating and drying biasing strips to form a fluffed material for decorative use as a fabric edging, weaving material, or patterned material designs. The method thus provides a new fluffed fiber, which is simple to make and use to provide a unique decorative sewing material to meet the needs of a user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises a method for producing a chenille-like textured type of yarn, trim and fabric and articles made there from. It comprises forming longitudinal strips of biased cloth without selvage or other binders along each lengthwise edge to prevent the strips from unraveling. The bias is generally at a 45-degree angle from the straight grain of the fabric. The strips are of varying widths, which do not prevent the biased fabric from completely unraveling when agitated in an aqueous bath. The strips are of a length to provide the desired yarn string length. In one preferred embodiment, they are on 40-foot rolls, which can be stored until use and then unrolled and cut to the desired length. Thus there is no theoretical limitation as to the length of the yarn, trim and fabric to be produced where continuous rolls of biased strips are employed.

Next at least one row of longitudinal stitching along the interior of the biased strips is sewn to secure and lock the warp and filling threads together. The longitudinally stitched biased strips are then brushed or agitated in an aqueous bath until the threads unravel and are held by the longitudinal stitching, which acts as a spine. The resulting chenille like yarn, trim and fabric is then air or machine-dried to fluff the filling threads.

The method thus provides a simple inexpensive method to produce a chenille-like yarn without the complexities of the conventional weaving process. It also allows the generation of a chenille-like yarn, trim and fabric from any natural fabric, which separates on brushing or aqueous agitation, such as cotton, wool, linen, silk, and the like. This method enables exact matching of a chenille-like textured yarn, trim and fabric to any material when biased strips thereof are treated with applicant's method and the resultant chenille-like yarn, trim and fabric are affixed to the original material. The method may also include adding dies to the aqueous bath or fabric conditioners to adjust the color and fluff of the resulting chenille-like yarn.

If additional fluff is desired, multiple layers of biased strips may be longitudinally sewn together before brushing or agitation in an aqueous bath. This provides additional filling threads surrounding the longitudinal stitching spine, thereby providing a fluffier fuller chenille-like yarn, trim and fabric.

In another variation, the strips of biased cloth are sewn onto a fabric in a desired pattern. The sewn biased cloth and fabric are then brushed or agitated in an aqueous bath until the threads unravel, leaving a chenille like yarn pattern on the fabric. If the fabric is soluble in water, the resultant aqueous treated chenille-like or textured yarn pattern has in a filigree design with various types and shapes of openings.

Examples of possible uses for this chenille-like yarn, trim and fabric for wearables are as follows:

-   -   a. Design lines. Bias chenille-like strips can be sewn as design         lines on any garment. Rows of chenille-like strips can be         vertical, horizontal, any angle, curved, long, short, continuous         or shaped into designs.     -   b. Embellishments. Chenille-like strips can be used to embellish         garments, quilts, pillow tops, ready to wear garments, handbags,         belts, scarves and more.         The use of chenille-like strips eliminates many of the arduous         steps that formerly made the task of creating a chenille project         slow and tedious. The process is simple: Stitch it in place,         brush or wash it, dry it and you are done!

Other possibilities of what can be done with these simple chenille-like strips are as follows:

The chenille-like effect on a garment may be created in a variety of ways. The first decision is the design and placement of the strips. In designing a garment, one begins by creating a template of chosen pattern shapes. This is accomplished by drawing a miniature version of the pattern pieces on a white sheet of paper. These sheets of paper are then glued to a light cardboard or plastic and cut out to provide a template, which can easily be traced multiple times onto other sheets of paper. Now that there are several canvases, one can begin to work on the possibilities.

For example, the first decision might be whether or not to incorporate other embellishments or applications in addition to the chenille-like effect. There are many choices. Machine or hand embroidery on a garment can be enhanced or even bordered or framed with the chenille-like strips. Other surface design techniques that could be combined with the chenille-like strips could be stamping, printing, hand painting, beading, discharging, applique, piecing, quilting, pleating, tucking and more.

To proceed, mark the placement(s) of any embroidery or other design elements on the traced template and begin exploring and playing with the possibilities of where to add the chenille-like effect. If designing only with the chenille-like strips, one uses a blank canvas on which to sketch lines, curves and other designs.

The advantages of using the chenille-like strips are:

-   -   a. One is no longer limited to chevron, vertical and horizontal         lines in the chenille. One can vary the lines and directions of         the chenille. One can also use multiple chenille-like strip         colors and fabrics on different design lines.     -   b. One can apply the strips to a new garment before construction         or the strips may be applied later to a finished or         ready-to-wear garment.

Chenille-like strips can be applied to the outer edges of garments including the edges of collars, sleeves, pockets and seams. The strips are applied to the wrong side of a hem or collar edge as well as the top or right side edge and encase these unfinished edges with soft textured chenille once it has been washed and dried.

Chenille-like strips can be applied in the same manner to the edges of quilts, throws and cuddly baby blankets. All of the work of binding raw edges and encasing them in fabric with mitered corners and rows of top-stitching has been eliminated. Even a novice sewer can have a beautifully finished edge by using chenille strips instead of binding.

Making perfect points on a collar or perfect corners on a pillow can be difficult because one must stitch seams, trim and turn the corners for a professional result. With the chenille-like strips, one simply stitches edges together in a ¼ inch seam in a continuous seam all the way around a pillow or collar after eliminating any seam allowance. After the edges have been sewn together, one simply stitches two layers of chenille strips to one side of the piece and then stitches another two layers on the opposite side with the edges of the strips just beyond the cut edge. When the garment or pillow is brushed or washed and dried the edge will be finished and the raw cut edge will disappear into the chenille. The raw edges also may be serged before the chenille is applied.

Thus the chenille-like strips can be used on quilts, to bind edges, to make designs on quilt tops, baby blankets, rugs and wall hangings, to make designs or monograms, to outline blocks, appliques or other designs, as an accent or to add texture to areas of a quilt, on water soluble products, and on scarves, jackets, vests, ponchos, shawls, hats, belts or capes.

An example of making a fringed scarf using water-soluble material is as follows:

-   1. Cut water-soluble fabric the width plus 1 inch and the length of     the finished scarf. Draw vertical lines (long length of scarf)     starting ½ inch from the edge of the soluble fabric. Draw vertical     lines 1-1½ inches apart to within ½ of the finished width of the     scarf. -   2. Draw the horizontal lines beginning from one of the ends of the     soluble strip until the entire grid is drawn. (Make sure that the     length and width of the scarf divides evenly with the desired grid)     Note: Determine the length and width of scarf so that you can give     exact measurements and number of rows and strips in directions! -   3. Sew a line of stay stitching down the center of the entire length     of the continuous bias with a 1 or 1.5 stitch length. -   4. Cut long strips the length of the water-soluble plus 18 inches.     Using a marking pencil or chalk, draw a line 9 inches down from the     end of each lengthwise strip. -   5. Lay the marked line on the top edge of your scarf soluble piece     and begin stitching, laying down the bias strip with the stay     stitching lined up with the marked vertical line. Stitch on top of     the same line of stitching until you reach the end of the     water-soluble. Continue in the same manner with all of the long     strips across the width of the scarf. -   6. Begin stitching the crosswise lines of your scarf with the     remaining bias beginning at the edge of the lengthwise strips     centering your strips again on the lines drawn on the water soluble     product and ending on the edge of last vertical strip. Continue     until all lines have been covered with the chenille strips. Be sure     to include a crosswise row and the top and bottom edge of the     water-soluble scarf edge. -   7. Bring up the 9 inch tails at the two ends of the vertical strips     and lap them ¼ inch past the last row of crosswise stitching and     stitch them into place with another ¼ inch seam matching the seam to     the row of stitching underneath the strip. (Note: this is one of the     reasons that the stay stitching was done before constructing the     scarf. The stay stitching makes it possible to make the fringe with     a continuous strip) -   8. To have an optional fringe in a solid row across the bottom of     the scarf, cut additional 9-inch strips and add fringe to the spaces     between the fringe loops on the end of the vertical rows. (Note: be     sure that the additional fringe is stay stitched before it is     applied to the scarf.) -   9. Wash the scarf in a regular washing cycle in cold water. Dry in     dryer until completely dry.

The method thus makes it possible to design a foot that you could feed the bias through and it would automatically stitch the strip right down the middle for the user to guide the machine in straight or curved lines to stitch down the chenille-like strip. This makes it easier to stitch the strips along the edge of a garment or quilt. It is also contemplated to have a foot that would gather or pleat the strip as it goes through to do curved lines, flowers, letters etc.

Thus the invention makes it possible to employ a sewing machine to add a chenille-like touch to various garments, in differing patterns and colors without requiring specialized weaving steps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a longitudinal strip of biased cloth.

FIG. 2 a is a front view of the longitudinal strip of FIG. 1 placed on a piece of fabric.

FIG. 2 b is a front view of the longitudinal strip of FIG. 1 sewn onto the piece of fabric.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the longitudinal strip of FIG. 2 b after aqueous agitation and drying.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of sewn and aqueous agitated longitudinal strips applied to a tote.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a roll of strips 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The invention comprises forming longitudinal strips of biased cloth 10 shown in FIG. 1 having lengthwise edges 12 without selvage or other binders to prevent the biased strips 10 from unravelling. The example shown shows a bias of 45 degrees. The strips 10 have a width, which does not prevent the biased fabric from completely unravelling when brushed or agitated in an aqueous bath. The length of the strip 10 is selected to provide the desired yarn string length.

FIG. 2 a is a front view of the longitudinal strip of FIG. 1 placed on a piece of fabric. Next, at least one row of longitudinal stitching 14 is sewn along the interior of the biased strips 10 to secure and lock the warp 16 and filling threads 18 of the biased cloth strip 10 together. Fig. 2 b is a front view of two longitudinal strips 10 of FIG. 1 placed onto a piece of fabric 20, with one sewn and the other to be sewn thereon.

The fabric 20 with longitudinal strips sewn thereto, is then agitated in an aqueous bath until the filling and warp threads 16, 18 unravel and are only held by the longitudinal stitching 14. After drying the resulting chenille-like yarn fluffs forming a like-like fringe as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a chenille-like fabric yarn decorated tote article 22 produced in accordance with the method.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a roll of strips 10, which can be unrolled, cut, and then sewed onto fabric to produce a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim or fabric.

Although this specification has referred to the illustrated embodiments, it is not intended to restrict the scope of the appended claims. The claims themselves recite those features deemed essential to the invention. 

1. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim or fabric, comprising: a. forming longitudinal strips of biased cloth having lengthwise edges without selvage or other binders to prevent the strips from unraveling, the strips of a width, which does not prevent the biased fabric from completely unraveling when mechanically separated or agitated in an aqueous bath, and of a length to provide the desired yarn string length. b. sewing at least one row of longitudinal stitching along the interior of the biased strips to secure and lock the warp and filling threads together, and c. unraveling the threads so they are held by the longitudinally stitching.
 2. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim or fabric according to claim 1 wherein the unraveling of the threads comprises brushing the threads until they unravel and are only held by the longitudinal stitching.
 3. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim or fabric according to claim 1 wherein unraveling the threads comprises: a. agitating the longitudinally stitched biased strips in an aqueous bath until the threads unravel and are only held by the longitudinal stitching, and b. drying resulting chenille-like yarn to fluff the filling threads.
 4. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and fabric according to claim 1, including sewing the biased strip to a fabric base before unraveling the threads.
 5. A method of producing a chenille-like strip or textured type yarn, trim and fabric according to claim 4, wherein the unraveling comprises agitating the longitudinally stitched biased strips in an aqueous bath.
 6. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and fabric according to claim 4, wherein the fabric base is soluble in an aqueous bath.
 7. A chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and fabric or article produced in accordance with the method of claim
 1. 8. Rolls of strips of biased cloth for producing a chenille-like fabric, yarn, or an article in accordance with claim 1 having lengthwise edges without selvage or other binders to prevent the strips from unraveling, the strips of a width, which does not prevent the biased fabric from completely unraveling when mechanically separated or agitated in an aqueous bath, and of a length to provide the desired yarn string length.
 9. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and/or fabric comprising: a. forming longitudinal strips of biased cloth having lengthwise edges without selvage or other binders to prevent the strips from unraveling, the strips of a width, which does not prevent the biased fabric from completely unraveling when agitated in an aqueous bath, and of a length to provide the desired yarn string length. b. sewing at least one row of longitudinal stitching along the interior of the biased strips to secure and lock the warp and filling threads together, c. agitating the longitudinally stitched biased strips in an aqueous bath until the threads unravel and are only held by the longitudinal stitching, and d. drying resulting chenille-like yarn to fluff the filling threads.
 10. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and fabric according to claim 9, including sewing the biased strip to a fabric base before unraveling the threads.
 11. A method of producing a chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and fabric according to claim 10, wherein the fabric base is soluble in the aqueous bath and the biased strips overlap in a pattern, which are secured together by the longitudinal stitching to produce a filigree design with various types and shapes of openings when the fabric base is dissolved.
 12. A chenille-like or textured type yarn, trim and fabric produced in accordance with the method of claim
 9. 